- Date
- June 15, 2018, 08:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8273CPiper PA 22
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180615007929A
- Case key
- 97519
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane exited the runway to the left, struck a runway light, and impacted a ditch. The left main landing gear separated from the airplane, and the airplane came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left lower fuselage and left wing. The pilot added that, while he was at the departure airport before the flight, due to jet blast, he was blown off a ladder during the preflight inspection and that the airplane's tail section was "picked" up and slammed several times onto the ground. He examined the airplane and did not find any anomalies. The pilot reported that there no control issues or anomalies during takeoff but that, during the flight to the accident airport, he felt the airplane was out of trim. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that, during a postaccident examination, he could not determine if the damage to the tailwheel was sustained before the accident or when the airplane impacted the ditch.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane exited the runway to the left, struck a runway light and impacted a ditch. The left main landing gear separated from the airplane and the airplane came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left lower fuselage and left wing. The pilot added that while he was at the departure airport prior to the flight, due to jet blast, he was blown off a ladder during the preflight inspection and that the airplane's tail section was "picked" up and slammed several times onto the ground. He examined the airplane and did not find any anomalies. During takeoff, the pilot did not report any control issues or anomalies but during the flight to the accident airport, he felt the airplane was out of trim. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that, during a postaccident examination, he was not able to determine if the damage to the tailwheel was sustained prior to the accident and not caused by the airplane's impact of the ditch. The pilot did not submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8273C
- Reported as
- Piper PA 22 (135)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-2348
- Built
- 1954
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FGX · Flemingsburg, KY
- Destination
- HOC · Hillsboro, OH
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- HOC · Highland County
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KILN, 19 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 567 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.